Friday the 16th @ Crowders : Middle Finger, 'Pinky Pillar', and Stupid Roof

Middle Finger (5.7) on Middle Finger Wall

Last friday after Redpointing Middle Finger (5.7) I proceeded to look at the rest of Middle Finger Wall and since my partner didn't want to follow any of the climbs I decided we should go climb the Unknown Pillar (Pinky Pillar) cliff left of  Middle Finger Wall.


Pinky Pillar is in front of Two Pitch Wall also known as the backside of Car Wall.


I lead three of the variations and top roped the fourth. I would say that there are three distinct routes on this twenty five foot pillar.

After my partner left to run errands, I walked around, took some pictures, and eventually bumped into some climbers trying to navigate Crowders and asked if I could join them for the rest of the day.

Top of Unknown Pillar (Pinky Pillar)

They were trying to get on something 'easier' and they asked if I could set up Caterpillar (5.7). I tried to warn these ladies that most beginning climbers found it harder than (5.7) because of the full body climbing involved. Stemming, pressing, mantling, face climbing, crack climbing, you name it and you can probably do it on Caterpillar (5.7).

After letting them fail around for a bit I asked if I could move them to something easier. They agreed but wanted me to climb it first. I told them to meet me on the Davids Castle Backside right of the crack on The Nose (5.5).

They top-roped as I prepared myself mentally for another chossy traditional climb. Stupid Roof (5.10) is located down and right of Davids Castle Backside and rarely do I see or hear of anybody climbing it. This climb was a little intimidating, especially not knowing anything about the route or even what side of the roof I was suppose to be climbing. I figured I would see the 'fixed piton' under the roof that was described in the Thomas Kelley guide book.

Bottom of Unknown Pillar (Pinky Pillar)

It is one thing to climb with someone all the time and trust them with your life. It is another thing to climb with someone you have just met and trust THEM with your life. Usually you try and climb routes well below your climbing ability when climbing with a new partner so you can get better acquainted. This would be the second person this day that I would be trusting my life with, that I had just met.

Stupid Roof (5.10) 

This route would not be a bad route if it wasn't for the lack of traffic. Because nobody climbs Stupid Roof (5.10) it still has a lot of sharp, brittle, holds. In fact I almost fell again due to a breaking hold. I'm going to try and get some top rope action on this route and the face next to it and see if I can get my crew to clean it up.

The lady climbers were very appreciative and told me that I should make a guide book. I let them know that a friend of mine was in the process of making a guide book for the Piedmont Area and that I was in the process of updating Crowders Mountain State Park on the website Mountain Project.

Over all it was a good day of climbing and fun to meet new people.

Weekend

Headed to Crowders Mountain State Park on Friday September 17th 2011 to see how many of the routes on Middle Finger Wall I can tick. I am a little nervous after my previous experience on Middle Finger (5.7) route. I had led the route about two thirds of the way up and as I grabbed the biggest looking part of a ledge, a piece the size of a small cantaloupe fell off and took me with it.

Middle Finger should be dubbed Bloody Finger.

Thankfully, my last piece off protection held (a #1 Red Black Diamond Camalot). I did manage to take a 15 foot fall. This is the biggest fall I have taken on lead and I fell past the red camalot, past a fixed pin, and past an equalized double nut placement. I conveniently landed next to a big ledge and upon inspection, I proceeded to climb with a small leg gash and a hole on my left pinky and right ring finger. I was scared when I started climbing again but I managed to get to the top and build an anchor in a 'bomber' horizontal crack.

After round two on the chossy Middle Finger route, I'm hoping to do the rest of the routes on Middle Finger Wall. Flexible Flyer (5.9+ R) I don't know how much I want to trust the less traveled rock on a 'Runout' route.

Saturday I'll be either be heading to Moore's Wall, Pilot Mountain or Crowders Mountain depending on my partner situation and the weather.

I'll see you on the mountains!

Saturday at Crowders

Steven Lineberry on Rawlhide (5.10)

A happy Cragbaby.

It's crazy how dedicated Columbia, South Carolina climbers have to be. Most of our group met at Stronghold Athletic Club at around 6 am to head to Crowders Mountain State Park.  After a quick breakfast stop, we headed to the mountains.

Once in the parking lot,we gathered our gear as Erica Lineberry and her crew, Steven, Cragbaby, and Patrick, arrived. After our introductions, registration, and pit stops we were off!

Cragmama - Erica Lineberry on Right of Rawlhide (5.11+)

By the look of the parking lot, it was going to be a packed day.  I hoped that because we were heading to the Resurgance Area, we would be avoiding some of the climber traffic.  We climbed most of the day with only my friends from Crowders Mountain Climbing making a short stop at Rawlhide Wall and another party of two passing by.

Ethan Stevens on Unknown 5.8

We were informed, by the party of two, that the rest of the mountain was packed. And after walking from the Resurgance Area to Practice Wall (to locate two of my lost climbers) it was indeed true that the mountain was packed. Every wall I walked by had people on it.

Leading the classic Dewey Used to Love It (5.10)

Robert Keinzle on Dewey Used to Love It (5.10)

It was still a little hot to be at the Resurgance Area  in the morning but we were there mostly to show Erica around.  Erica is currently working on a Piedmont Area Climbing guide which is going to include Crowders Mountain State Park. Check out the the facebook group Carolina Rocks: The Piedmont.

I put Erica's Crew on the area classics - Dewey Used To Love It, Plane Above Your Head, and Rawlhide as well as putting her on less traveled climbs.

I invited people from the Belayed Gratification and Palmetto Pebble Wrestlers club and at first I was worried about keeping everyone occupied. It turned out not to be a problem because we had climbers of all abilities and ages helping each other out.

Matthew Stevens on his first lead.

With so many climbs in a small area it is no surprise that we started and ended our day in the Resurgence Area.  Robert Keinzle and I managed to clear part of a fallen tree that was blocking the prime belay spot for Cro-Magnon and Rawlhide. There are still a few downed trees that are blocking the vague trail from Rawlhide to the Tower Trail.

Lorikay Keinzle on Dewey Used to Love it (5.10)

I had a blast and I hope that I see more people out on the next outdoor climbing trip.  Thanks to all!

Crowding Crowders on Saturday.

Last Sunday I also had the privilege of meeting Scott Gilliam of the Carolina Climbers Coaliton.  Scott is the one who actually led Mighty Mouse (5.11c) at Moore's Wall.

Picture of Mighty Mouse at Moore's Wall. (Not Scott - Picture from MountainProject.com)

Scott and his crew were very awesome down to earth people who were kind enough to let me finish up my day on their rope.  Fisher and I got invited to Mi Pueblo and had some great tasting Mexican food with Scott, Stephanie, Susan, Tracy, Skinny, and Elsa (sorry about the misspelled names and/or if I left anyone out).  Thank you guys for the awesome day and it really was a pleasure to might all of you or as they say in the south 'y'all'.

This weekend I have been invited to show Erica Lineberry (http://cragmama.com/) and her crew the less traveled routes and walls at Crowders Mountain State Park.  I'm debating whether to pass on the love and give them a good hazing... just messin'. Erica is putting together a new guide book for the Piedmont area. If you want to stay updated or think you may have information about routes or areas, check out her Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/258109837538751/).

Carolina Rocks: The Piedmont

I noticed last Friday that there were a lot of downed trees and over grown shrubs taking over the already NOT very distinct trail to the Resurgence Area, so we might as well make it a party and do some trail clean up.  I will also be taking pictures of anchors that need replacing for the upcoming Crowders Mountain Adopt-a-Crag (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100943766680514).

I'll see you at Crowders on Saturday!

Sunday Fun-Day @ Moore's Wall

After climbing at Linville Gorge on Saturday I had asked the fellas (Eddie Medina, Robert Hutchins, and Tim Fisher) if they were going climbing on Sunday. Tim asked me where I was headed and I responded that I was probably headed to Pilot Mountain State Park so that I could find a random someone to climb with. Unless one of them wanted to climb some where.

Moore's Wall

Tim said that if I wanted to climb, that I should climb at Moore's Wall. I told him that I had only been there once with Robert and I didn't know the area well. He told me he would pick me up in the morning from Robert's house at eight am.

Eight am came awfully fast for a certain someone who made have had a little too much to drink the previous night.  Luckily, that someone kept waking up dehydrated in the middle of the night and made sure to chug lots of water during several of those woken up moments.

It was fun getting to converse with Tim one on one on the way to Moore's Wall. Pick up a guide book with Moore's Wall in it and you'll be sure to learn a little about Tim Fisher, I did :-)

The previous night, Tim and Robert were trying to figure out which route to haze me on. However, on Sunday Tim decided to veto the original haze and hazed me instead with a good old fashioned sand bagged route which he told me was (5.7).

Funny because on the way to Air Show (5.8+) we bumped into a couple of his old friends. They asked where we were going and Tim told them that he was taking me to Air Show.  As they walked away one of them said, "...that's a great 5.5". I retorted, "Is everyone in on the hazing?" That fella's name was Sandy. After we bumped into him again on the way back to the North Side of Moore's Wall, I told Sandy that he would now be referred to as 'Sandy Bags'. So if you ever run into a guy named Sandy at Moore's Wall, be wary of asking him for information.

It was all in good fun. Besides, in my mind, Tim already told me it was a 5.7 (I didn't actually know what it was rated until Tim told me after we climbed it that it was (5.8+).  Didn't matter what it was rated, because Air Show is such a beautiful, well protected, exposed, climb. Definitely a Classic.

At the base of the climb Tim said, "Place nuts when you can and save some bigger cams towards the top".  He later said that my two cam placements were the sketchiest of all my placements and that it was funny because the rest of my pieces were nuts.

As we scrambled down a 5.3/5.5 route, we were met half-way by a couple of climbers on their way up. They asked us if we knew where to rappel from. Tim smiled and said that we were just scrabbling down. They looked shocked to say the least.

We continued our day by heading to the north end. Tim said he was going to take it easy but apparently our definition of easy is different because he led Nevermore (5.11b), Vascular Disaster (5.11b/c) and then had to top rope VD again to remove a brass nut that I had failed to retrieve. I tried to remove that thing for what seemed like 15 minutes. Tim took it out first yank...I apparently don't have enough following experience.

I top-roped Nevermore and Vascular Disaster with no falls, but as punishment for my lack of cleaning skills I was told I had to down climb VD. Of course they were joking but I did it anyway, at least until I fell on the boulder start. I finished my day by top-roping and cleaning Mighty Mouse (5.11c), also with no falls.  All of these climbs were amazing and I look forward to someday leading them.

Overall, I had an amazing Labor day weekend. Friday at Crowders, Saturday at Linville Gorge, and Sunday at Moore's Wall.  I hope everyone reading this also got to make some amazing memories this weekend.

Cheers and until the next Climb!

Linville Gorge

   Saturday I spent the day at Linville Gorge climbing with Eddie Medina, Robert Hutchins, and Tim Fisher.  If you don't know who these men are then I suggest you stop climbing... just kidding.

Eddie Medina wondering when he going to get his afternoon siesta.

Pick up any guide book to North Carolina and you're bound to stumble onto Tim's name and the many First Ascents he has contributed and is still contributing through out the southeast.  Robert is currently putting up First Ascents like it's his job with Tim.  Eddie Medina is heavily involved with the Carolina Climbers Coalition and is always working with state parks in order to keep a working relationship with park rangers and climbers.

  Climbing Freddy Krueger.

Their style of climbing is very aesthetic to me because the routes they put up (ground up) are very much the movement quality that I enjoy, full body climbing involving different disciplines of our art. Crack climbing techniques, stemming, mantling, overhung pump-fests, 'Fisher Footwork', side pulls, and smearing, are only a few of the styles that any given route will have. Most climbers would be hard pressed to find all these styles in ONE route at most 'face climbing styled' climbing gyms.

Robert Hutchins shakes off on Sneak Preview in Linville Gorge.

It's safe to assume that we all had a stellar day. It went something like this -   

Eddie almost red-pointed his project Sleeper (5.10+) falling only on the boulder style crux near the top-out.  I'm confident he will send on his next go, seeing as he had the rest of the climb 'dialed' like a phone call.

   

Robert and Tim warmed-up on Lactic Bubble Bath (5.11), continued onto Sneak Preview (5.11+), crushed Pump on Demand (5.12) and finished up on Freddie Crouger (5.11).  These fellas make climbing look easy with there efficient footwork, dialed gear placements, and all around smart, smooth, climbing styles.

   The ever so limber Tim 'Footwork' Fisher.

This was my third trip to their playground so I started my day by onsighting a unique climb which started on an exposed arete, topped out to a crack with awesome stemming, continued to a hole which I was convinced I was being sandbagged because I was told to climb through it, leading to a traverse onto an exposed slopey ledge that finished on a second arete.  

The climb was named Guillotine (5.9+) because the 'hole' you climb through is a piece of razor sharp rock 'stemming' on the walls looking like it could tumble off at any moment.  I was assured that they had tried trundling it (knocking it down) to no avail. If you fell on it, it would surely chop off whatever body part made contact with it.

Robert Hutchins snakes his way up Sneak Preview at Linville Gorge.

After finishing my next climb, Sleeper (5.10+), a route I onsighted on my previous trip,  I decided I'd try and redpoint the closes thing to resemble a sport route out there. You must understand that these men do not throw bolts up on anything that can be protected with traditional climbing gear. So having a route that only takes one or two pieces (I vetoed the second piece) is almost unheard of with Tim and Robert. 

On my first attempt I botched the sequence near the middle of the climb and had to figure out my beta.  I let Eddie top rope it and watched Tim make the first section of Pump on Demand his bitch... I mean look easy. I am proud to say that on my second attempt, on this trip (top roped on both previous trips),  I got Freddy Krueger (5.11) clean! I finished my Saturday by top-roping and cleaning Pump on Demand with only one fall/take.

Tim Fisher enjoys the view on Pump on Demand and Eddie Medina cleans the anchors on Freddy Krueger.

I don't know very many sports where you can read a book about men who seem like rock stars (pun intended) and then one day suddenly meet them.  Not only meet them but climb with them and find that these legends of North Carolina ground up ethic are in Tim's words, "...just people like you Eddy." 

I feel like I am a lucky man to be able to climb with people that push me both physically and mentally. I am truly proud to say that these three men are people I look up to and can call friends.  And to think that this was only Saturday!

Wait until I tell you about Sunday!

Tim, isn't that taking a 'comfortable belay stance' a bit past the line?

Choss-wesome Crowders Climbing

Went climbing with Mike Best yesterday (09-02-2011) at Crowders Mountain and led Middle Finger (5.7) on Middle Finger Wall. I ended up staying left in the off width flakes all the way to the top. It was fun climbing.

When I had finished climbing out of the slight overhang at the top I was mentally celebrating my victory. Suddenly, as I grabbed for the most secure looking ledge, the softball sized jug broke off the wall and sent me off to my first BIG whipper.  I couldn't have soared more than 15ft but it was one of the scariest feelings I have experienced

Bloody Fingers from the broken hold fall on Middle Finger. 

This is what happens on a 15ft whipper. It was actually not that bad.

Mike led In this Corner (5.6) on the Wrestling Wall and found a snake friend living in one of the cracks he was going to place gear in. I'm glad he didn't place the gear but more glad that I didn't follow and clean that piece!

Overall, it was a quick day with an awesome first big fall to add to my experience.  Headed to Linville Gorge tomorrow! See you on the rocks!

First Time Blogger. Hello!

My name is Eduardo 'Eddy' Ramirez. I was born in Los Angeles, California, raised in Hailey, Idaho, and have been in Columbia, South Carolina since summer of 2005.
 
I started climbing shortly after I started taking ballet classes with the Sun Valley Ballet School in 2003 (a girlfriend's teacher saw it as an opportunity to rope me in).  Like most beginners, I had the common misconception that climbing was all pull-ups and that I could get some more upper body strength (to lift ballerinas) by climbing.

I came to Columbia, S.C. to pursue a career in ballet. Upon arrival applied at Columbia City Ballet and the local climbing gym, Stronghold Athletic Club. I met my fiance while dancing with the company and now have a beautiful little girl named Ava Margarita Ramirez.
 
I retired from dancing in 2009, to stay at home with Ava during the day while her mother, Nicole, went to work for the school district teaching dance.  I also was hired at UPS as a part-time package handler during the midnight shift. Since retiring from dance, I have focused all my energy into climbing and giving back to the sport.
 
I worked for Stronghold Athletic Club for three and a half years until the previous owner sold the business to the current owner. While at Stronghold I started as a belay slave (one of few gyms that still offers when for no extra charge) and climbing party belayer. I soon there after offered to teach the beginner climbing clinics and co-coach the climbing team.
 
Always wanting more, I learned to work the front desk, teach yoga for a short stint, set routes in the climbing tower, take people from clinics to outdoor climbing, co-sponsored an Adopt-a-Crag at Crowders Mountain State Park, set up the portable wall for events/parties, and started the group Belayed Gratification and Palmetto Pebble Wrestlers.
 
I'm currently helping Brad Caldwell (http://upstatebouldering.blogspot.com/)and Steven Scoff build momentum in Columbia for the December 10th 2011 Table Rock, South Carolina Adopt-a-Crag (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190931030961941).
 
Eddie Medina also contacted me to also get the word out about the October 1st 2011 Crowders Mountain State Park Adopt-a-Crag (http://www.facebook.com/groups/crowmtnclimb/).

With all that said, I'm very proud to be part of our climbing community. We have so many things to look forward to for our local crags.

Sean Cobourn is working on a new Rumbling Bald guide book (routes only).

Chris Dorrity (http://rumblingbaldbouldering.blogspot.com/) is off developing boulders at the Hanging Chain State Park Boulderfields and working on his second edition of Rumbling Bald Bouldering that will include the Hanging Chain Boulderfield.

Erica Lineberry (http://www.facebook.com/groups/258109837538751/) AKA Cragmama (http://cragmama.com/) is working on a Piedmont area guide book.

Matt 'Mokolai' Bielejeski just released his new Dixon School Road Bouldering Guide (http://www.facebook.com/groups/170785626280776/).

Brad Caldwell has tons of topos out for the 'upstate boulders' of South Carolina on his blogg (http://upstatebouldering.blogspot.com/).

Here is to the future of South Carolina Climbing and Bouldering!!